Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1887-05-21
WONDERFUL ADVENTURE.
BY G. FADE MARTIN.

[Scens. Depot c., r. I. d d. r. R., enter myself
when does the Council Bluffs Express
leave?" asked of the porter.
@Ten thirty, SIR
look at my watch and find that have
fifteen minutes to while away my time.
seat myself and watch the crowd pass to
and fro. was on my way west for rest,
recreation, and adventure.
Again I look at my watch; it lacks three
minutes Of the time for the train to
start, the trainmen are crying SAIL Aboard!"
but I having sleeping berth secured, and
am to be "all aboard" for about five days,
am In no hurry. will wait till the last
minute. look again at my watch, two
minutes left. I settle back in my seat to
enjoy at least minute and half smoking
the remains of my cigar.
To travel for many days through
strange country with strange man, who
will only grunt monosyllables, is trial of
faith as we'll as patience. Such had been
my lot. Buckskin Bob, with whom had
only iquoring-up acquaintance, had
promised to show me sight that was
caution-a sight that no tenderfoot had
ever behald, If would trust myself to his
guidance. had done so-ridden by his
side for days, camped out with him night
after night; but not single word had I
been able to extract from him as to the
nature of the sight, not word beyond the
gruff monosyllables referred to. Our
course had lain over a seemingly bound
less rolling prairie, with clumps of timber,
dotted like islands in the vast oceans of
grass. We had crossed trail of Indians out
upon the war-path. Our horses and our
selves had nearly been swallowed up in
fording mud creek. We had smoked the
pipe of peace with stray friendly Indians,
whose pacific intentions we had strength
ened, or whose greed, peradventure, we
had stimulated, by presents of tobacco.
We had seen wolves chase antelopes, and
leng-legged herons fishing in sulky per-
sistency on the banks of stream, the |
name of which Bob would not tell me,
rolling on to join some larger river, but |
what could only conjecture. Unnamed |
by my companion, had attempted to
quench my thirst with water from pool,
which was, in fact strong solution Of |
salts, and had suffered inconvenience in |
consequence. We had seen buffalo in
multitudes such as no man could number,
a mighty host of shaggy blackness extend
ing for miles, laundering over the quaking
a nth IN thar roS;oflosc rrollor Cnroo 80 |
had shot. and Toasted on their humps, and
and marrow. Elk, too, we had
shot; we had popped away at owls, prairie
dogs, and rattlesnakes. We had traversed
q region of sandy desolation, in which we
had been almost eaten up by ants, region
of lava and NORWOOD, and dwarf cedars.
We had, by the skin Of our teeth, escaped
from huge grizzlies, and the more savage
Apaches. We had passed through q coun-
try of snow and pines, towering crags and
clefts that seemed to 60 down to the center
of the earth. We had lived on wild roots
and horse. We had fallen in with Indians |
who had never before beheld white mans |
face. and shared their mess Of beaver and |
salmon's eggs. We had eaten to repletion |
of grvuse and hares when We had starved |
for days on rations of dried bear-eaten as |
savages eat, 80 that for the next twenty |
four hours we lay in state Of somnolent
safety.
One night we had special feast6f veni-
sion, grouse, and kind of trout We had
caught in a deep brook as cold a. ice. We
were camped in the midst Of juniper bushes. |
Suddenly, as We lounged smoking by the
ere, Bob became communicative.
sWhisky's good. said he. shut should
Ike dram Of gin for change, darned IL I
shouldn'ts
He filed pan with whisly, gathered
some juniper berries and dropped them IN.